Few organizations — corporate or otherwise — trace their roots back 111 years. Rotary International does.
Rotary was formed in 1905, before General Motors (1908) and Kraft Foods Inc. (1909) and just after Ford Motors (1903), and Bank of America (1904). This month, Feb. 23 marks the 111th anniversary of Rotary International.
It all began in Chicago on the vision of one man, Paul Harris. Harris formed the club as a place where professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. Rotary’s name came from the group’s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Today, it is a 1.2 million member organization. Notable Rotarians include Warren G. Harding, U.S. president; Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer; Dr. Charles Mayo, co-founder of Mayo Clinic; Guglielmo Marconi, Italian inventor of wireless radio; and Thomas Mann, German novelist and Nobel laureate. Other notable Rotarians include Fredrick Branchflower, Breanne Martinez, Sondra Peters, Clint Boxman, and Stan Mack — all Kingston North Kitsap club members.
To Branchflower, Rotary is “a vehicle to actively participate in community service in a way that has impact.” Mack picks up on that theme: “Working together with friends to strengthen and improve our community.”
Rotary means “seeing a growing community and helping make a difference to a growing community with a new Community Center, new community readerboard, and seeing our Rotary[-involved] high school students,” Peters said.
Martinez said, “Rotary means to me community, partnership, camaraderie, and friendship.” Boxman said, “Being a Rotarian means to be actively involved in the affairs and service projects of one’s club and one’s community. Rotarians look for ways to get involved and make a difference. To me, that difference is leaving Kingston nicer than I found it.”
Kingston North Kitsap Rotary club president Doug Hillock speaks to common misunderstandings about Rotary. “People think it’s an ‘old boys club.’ It’s not. We have almost as many women in our club as men.” Over the years, Hallock’s seen membership and attendance requirements loosened as well, to align with today’s lifestyles. He said, “Rotary is a roll-up-your sleeves, hands-on group. It has tentacles into the community in a diverse, non-political, non-religious way. We’re involved not to enhance resumes, but to serve our community and get things done.”
For 111 years, that has been the case. Happy birthday, Rotary. Many happy “returns.”
Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club meets at noon Wednesdays at Village Green Community Center. Visitors are not only welcomed, they are encouraged. Come find out what they’re experiencing.
— Contact Ron Carter at rcarter010@centurytel.net.
